Relocating-Recommendations please

[KIMMIN]

Hi,

We currently live in Hove and are looking to relocate. We would like to be above the M25 or to the west of it and up as far as Birmingham.

We would like a town with lots of independent shops, culture, pubs with good food and wine, activities to get involved in. Also a waitrose nearby if possible. We would like good transport links (not to London) reasonably close to a motorway and good trains.

We have looked at Frome that seems amazing but it's too far south and the accessibility isn't great.

We really like older properties and don't want new builds or estates. Victorian properties we really like.

Any recommendations please?

Thanks.

Oxford for the culture, but maybe you want something smaller? Where do you want good transport links to? Lots of small Oxfordshire towns are nice, Benson, Wallingford, Abingdon...

Sorry, Benson too small to be a town really!

Ross on Wye. Waitrose 15 minutes away (Monmouth) train station 20 minutes, road links to all over. Very connected community on Facebook. Moved from there for work to Oxfordshire and miss it like crazy.

I used to live near frome it's ok. Pretty, has cinema lots of independent shops and a big asda. Not too far from bath either. But not a great drive there.

Salisbury bit more central than right over in Somerset, but then Somerset is really nice.
I'm no help. Sorry.

It’s a shame that Birmingham is your limit. You seem to have described Knutsford.

Knutsford is fabulous. North Yorkshire amazing too.